DECEMBER 2020
Steve Ashcroft has been going through our archives and is beginning to add links to videos of past productions onto our website. The first – The Anniversary by Bill McIlwraith from 1999 – can be viewed here.
If you have any problems viewing the video just contact us and we'll send a new link.
Happy New Year everybody! Watch out for news about renewed activities in the new year on this website. Let’s hope 2021 is a bumper year for us all.
DECEMBER 2020
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Members got together to read Under Milk Wood & Season’s Greetings via zoom while we could not meet physically. We also performed Herd Ingenuity, the latest zoom play by Tess Townsend and Marie-Jose Zuurbier. We only had one rehearsal. You can watch the recording, skilfully edited by Steve Ashcroft here.
Happy Christmas everybody! Watch out for news about renewed activities in the new year on this website. Let’s hope 2021 is a bumper year for us all.
OCTOBER 2020
AN OPEN LETTER TO ROBERT COURTS MP
The importance of Amateur Theatre - where would we be without it?
There is no question of the importance of Amateur Theatre within our local communities.
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To read the full letter click here.
AUGUST 2020
ZOOM – THE SEQUEL.
Some of our members got together via Zoom for a performance-reading of
Zoom – The Second Wave.
A good time was had by all!
To view the performance click here.
AUGUST 2020
AUTUMN PRODUCTION POSTPONED.
It’s official – sadly we have decided that all the constraints imposed because of the corona virus make our normal show unviable. Limited numbers due to social distancing, the ongoing risk of infection, the burden of health and safety measures all mean that it is impractical to deliver our usual theatrical extravaganza.
Watch this space for further developments about the spring 2021 show. In the meantime we will get our social interaction fix via zoom! Click here.
JULY 2020
Bartholomew Players had great fun performing Tess Townsend & Marie-Jose Zuurbier's play Zoom!
This was just what we needed to cut through the gloom of social-distancing and not being able to get properly together to perform.
You can watch it here:
Can’t wait for the sequel!
JULY 2020
Members convened via Zoom for the 2020 AGM.
During the meeting the committee was re-elected en bloc, a new constitution was approved and the autumn production was discussed at length.
Details are in the members section.
JUNE 2020
Huge congratulations to Claire Crowther who has won the NODA Sybil Conway Award for our district for Best Female in a play for her portrayal of Beverley in Abigail’s Party!
Well done Claire (and, of course, everyone involved in our wonderful play)!
To see the full list of winners, please click here.
MAY 2020
On the day that should have been the first performance of our Spring production, members got together via zoom for an informal social evening. Isolation stories were recounted and party pieces given an airing.
Not as satisfying as a real get-together, but still good fun!
MARCH 2020
We are disappointed to have to postpone our May production “Table Manners” till November due to the Corona Virus. Rest assured that the show will go on, albeit later than planned.
The play will run from 25th November – 28th November 2020.
Check our website for news about when we will start meeting again. Feel free to contact us, if you need more information.
JANUARY 2020
Bartholomew Players Chairman Gareth Hammond presents a cheque for £750 to Eynsham Pre-School Committee members Anna Parrinder and Nicola Wilson as their share of the profits from the hugely successful Friday supper night of the Bartholomew players recent production of Mike Leigh’s “Abigail’s Party”. This is the largest donation ever given to a local good cause by the Bartholomew Players and we are delighted that this amount will be matched by the Eynsham Pre-school sponsor, Stonegarth Fund. Read more here...
JANUARY 2020
We reconvened on Wednesday 8th after our Xmas break and we kicked the evening off with the presentation to Eynsham Pre-School, our charity partner on Abigail's Party, a cheque for £750, their share of the Friday night's profits. This is the highest amount we have ever awarded - reflecting the huge success of this production.
We then started getting to grips with our new show – Table Manners by Alan Ayckbourn. All are welcome to come along & get involved.
NOVEMBER 2019
"Abigail's Party" had our biggest audiences since Calendar Girls and gave universally positive feedback...
Read more...
AUGUST 2019
Bartholomew Players are looking for help with lighting and set-building.
Are you a practical person with some free time?
Read more...
AUGUST 2019
Having a bit of a clear out under the stage.
A good job well done!
AUGUST 2019
The Bartholomew Players are looking for an actress to play the part of "Sue" in our next production: "Abigail's Party".
If you'd like to join our friendly group, contact the director, Gareth Hammond: or 07890 970479.
JULY 2019
We are pleased to confirm our next show will be "Abigail's Party" – a play for stage and television devised and directed in 1977 by Mike Leigh.
It is a suburban situation comedy of manners, and a satire on the aspirations and tastes of the new middle class that emerged in Britain in the 1970s.
The show runs from 27th–30th November 2019 and tickets will be on sale soon.
JULY 2019
Once again, members enjoyed a summer barbecue in Gareth & Tessa’s garden.
Despite weeks & months of uncertain weather, it was a relief to end up with a rain-free afternoon.
JULY 2019
We were delighted to have a stand at the 2019 Eynsham Carnival.
We had a display of some photographs of our previous productions and a dressing up rail where visitors could dress up and take a selfie!
We met some wonderful people and we hope some of you can come along to our meetings when we all meet up together again in September.
JUNE 2019
The Bartholomew Players have presented a cheque for £600 to The Windrush Bike Project of Witney as their share of the profits from the charity supper evening during the May 2019 production of "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie.
This equals the largest donation we have been able to award since we started the charity "supper and show" evenings (the other was our November production of "Dangerous Corner" by JB Priestley where we partnered with Guideposts in Witney) and we are delighted that it is going to such a good cause.
MAY 2019
We are delighted to announce that the Bartholomew Players production of "Dangerous Corner", directed by Joe O'Connor in his very first Directing role, has won the Pat Redhead Drama Award (best in Oxfordshire & nominated for London) at the 2019 NODA Theatre Festival.
Dangerous Corner was shortlisted as one of 12 other plays in the London Region so this is a great accolade for us. Many congratulations to Joe, the cast and crew of Dangerous Corner for a performance that shows, once again, that the Bartholomew Players are a top-notch theatre group! Read more here.
MAY 2019
We are searching for (mostly male) actors for our next show – potentially “Whipping It Up”! A quick-witted satirical farce set in the Whips' office at Westminster.
It's a week before Christmas, and the new Tory government is facing dissent over its latest Bill. With a majority of only three, the Whips' office is out in full force, and they'll stop at nothing to keep the strays in line.
If you'd like to get in touch or come along on a Wednesday evening – we'd love to see you!
So come along and join our team to make our next production another success!
MAY 2019
Our production of Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None" was a huge success and we had a record number of audience members.
The reviews are in and we are thrilled that the production was so well received.
A huge thank you to everyone involved!
JANUARY 2019
The Bartholomew Players have presented a cheque for £600 to Guideposts Trust, Witney as their share of the profits from the charity supper evening during the November 2018 production of "Dangerous Corner" by JB Priestley. This is the largest donation we have been able to award since we started the charity "supper and show" evenings and we are delighted that it is going to such a good cause.
Pictured receiving the cheque from Gareth Hammond, Chairman of Bartholomew Players, is Ann Davis, Administrator for Guideposts Trust.
DECEMBER 2018
Now that the final curtain has fallen and the set has been dismantled on our production of Dangerous Corner we can reflect on another successful show.
Read the excellent reviews here.
NOVEMBER 2018
We now have a video advert for our next production "Dangerous Corner" by J.B. Priestley, directed by Joe O'Connor.
The play runs from 28th November – 1st December. Dangerous Corner is a fascinating and complex play full of intrigue and mystery. From the same writer as An Inspector Calls, Dangerous Corner will be an evening to remember.
To find out more please click here. To purchase tickets online, please click here.
OCTOBER 2018
Bartholomew Players, Eynsham, are holding open auditions for Agatha Christie’s brilliant murder mystery “And Then There Were None”to be performed at Eynsham Village Hall, Eynsham, OX29 4QW and Directed by Denise Santilli. The production dates are May 15th-18th 2019. Rehearsals will take place in the evening on Wednesdays from January & also Mondays from March.
To find out more please click here.
OCTOBER 2018
Tickets are now on sale for our next production: "Dangerous Corner" by J.B. Priestley, directed by Joe O'Connor.
The play runs from 28th November – 1st December. Dangerous Corner is a fascinating and complex play full of intrigue and mystery. From the same writer as An Inspector Calls, Dangerous Corner will be an evening to remember.
To find out more please click here. To purchase tickets online, please click here.
SEPTEMBER 2018
Our new website is now live – there are lots of new features and regular updates.
The new season has begun and the first read-through of our next production was on Wednesday 5th September. It runs from 28th November – 1st December and the title is Dangerous Corner by J B Priestley. A play where a chance remark ignites a series of devastating revelations, revealing a hitherto undiscovered tangle of clandestine relationships and dark secrets, the disclosures of which have tragic consequences.
New members are always welcome and we'd love you to join in.
AUGUST 2018
Members enjoyed a summer barbecue in Gareth & Tessa’s garden.
Despite weeks & months of hot dry weather, it was still a relief to end up with
a rain-free day.
JULY 2018
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Bartholomew Players at Eynsham Carnival
The Bartholomew Players have been delivering quality theatre to the Eynsham Community for more than 40 years. We are always looking for new members to help us produce even more vibrant, professional plays so part of the purpose of entering this year's carnival was to raise awareness that we exist and hopefully to recruit a few new members.
Click here or on the photograph to see more.
JUNE 2018
Gareth Hammond, Chairman of Bartholomew Players, Eynsham, presented a cheque for £300 to Tess McCormick,
Chair of the Eynsham Primary School PTA as their share of the profits from the Charity Supper night of “The Safari Party”, a play by Tim Firth, performed by Bartholomew Players on Friday 18th May 2018. 67 people attended the 2-course supper and play and the money raised through purchasing tickets for the supper and play, raffle tickets, auction prizes and drinks at the bar enabled Bartholomew Players to make this donation for such a worthy cause which will benefit the Eynsham community. The Primary School will put the money towards refurbishing the classrooms in the school.
DECEMBER 2017
Gareth Hammond, Chairman of The Bartholomew Players, presented a cheque for £550 to Steve Parrinder of Eynsham Museum Fund as their share of the profits from the Supper night of The Constant Wife on 1st Dec 2017. The money will be put towards building a museum display and put into context the Abbey stones (some of which can be seen in the photograph on top of the library shelves) as well as other artefacts from every period of Eynsham's history, using them to tell the story of the village's past in a way that is accessible to all.
DECEMBER 2017
Planning for our next show – The Safari Party, by Tim Firth – is now underway. In particular we are looking for a youngish man (playing age 20’s) to take on the part of Adam. This would suit someone with commitment and some acting experience, who is keen to be part of a talented cast. Please contact Gareth on 07890 970479, or email if you are interested. As usual, there will be plenty of scope for people to help with backstage functions, so all volunteers are welcome. Lighting and sound will certainly be more demanding than usual!
The Constant Wife was very well received with plaudits from critics and audiences alike. Photos and reviews can be seen by clicking here.
OCTOBER 2017
Rehearsals are well underway for our forthcoming production of
Somerset Maugham's The Constant Wife.
JUNE 2017
Gareth Hammond, Chairman of Bartholomew Players, Eynsham, presented a cheque for £330 to Ian Leggett, Chairman of the Bike Safe B4044 Eynsham to Botley Community Path Campaign as their share of the profits from the Charity Supper night of Humble Boy, a play by Charlotte Jones, performed by Bartholomew Players on Friday 19th May 2017. 80 people attended the 2-course supper and play and the money raised through purchasing tickets for the supper and play, raffle tickets, auction prizes and drinks at the bar enabled Bartholomew Players to make this donation for such a worthy cause which will benefit the Eynsham community. Pictured in the photograph (from L to R) are: Ian Leggett, Gareth Hammond, Ros Kent, John Blackie.
JUNE 2017
Members enjoyed a relaxing afternoon in Gareth & Tessa’s garden for a summer barbecue. Miraculously, the rain held off!
APRIL 2017
Photos from rehearsals of our forthcoming production of Humble Boy:-
We are thrilled to get recognition from the National Operatic and Dramatic Association: Debi Lisburne Diacon has been awarded best actress in a play for her performance in Relative Values in the district NODA awards and now goes forward as the district’s nomination for this year’s regional awards in June. In addition our set for California Suite has been nominated for the Shinfield Players Scenic Award.
<<< Please click on the image for more photos.
JANUARY 2017
Gareth Hammond, Chairman of Bartholomew Players presented a cheque for £500 to James Duncan, Detachment Commander of Eynsham Army Cadets, as their share of the sell-out supper night profits for our autumn show – Yes, Prime Minister. This money will help fund away days for the group. BP were very impressed by the military efficiency shown by the cadets in helping before, during and after the Friday evening dinner. BP is pleased to continue offering such support to the local community.